Jodie Foster in a thriller? You remember her from The Silence Of The Lambs and then you sort of grin with joy. Then you also notice it was way back in 1991. She has done films like Panic Room (2002) and Flight Plan (2005) after that, two middling thrillers whose reruns you can safely watch. Then, the film has Dave Bautista, whom you remember as this killing machine from the Guardians Of The Galaxy so you’re intrigued. There is also the gymnast turned actor Sofia Boutella, who can stretch her legs till infinity. And who says no to a film having Jeff Goldblum in the cast. So you go in with lots of expectations. And what did the Buddha say about expectations -- don’t have any, as they will only give you grief.

The premise of Hotel Artemis, which is set some years into the future, is akin to that of the ‘safe’ hotel from John Wick. Instead of a hotel for criminals, it’s a hospital. But the rules are the same. No outsiders allowed, no guns allowed, no business transactions inside the premises and most importantly, fellow patients shouldn’t kill each other. The hospital is run by nurse Jean Thomas (Jodie Foster), who suffers from acute Agoraphobia. She’s assisted by Everest (Dave Bautista), whose looming physique is enough to keep the badass patients in check. Sherman (Sterling K. Brown) and his brother take advantage of the civil rights unrest raging in Los Angeles and go for a bank heist, which goes bad. His brother is injured and they both get admitted to Hotel Artemis. There, he reunites with former lover, assassin Nice (Sofia Boutella), who has self-injured herself in order to kill crime kingpin The Wolf King (Jeff Goldblum) whom she knows is coming to the hospital for emergency surgery. Jean is mourning the loss of her son since years and that’s the reason for her sleeplessness as well as alcoholism. Under the influence of anesthesia, Wolf King reveals that it was he who ordered the killing of her son, freeing her from self-imposed bonds, and she chooses to ignore the no-killing rule...

In the film’s dystopian future, the citizens are protesting because they want clean water, the police is as nasty as the criminal underworld, and the poor are but cannon fodder for those in power. Director Drew Pearce has tried to explore too many possibilities here but the writing is all over the the place and leaves too many questions unanswered. Jodie Foster fosters a mother’s guilt of losing a child throughout the film but has no issues treating criminals. This moral ambiguity gets to you, especially when it is assumed she opens up the hospital to all those in need at the end of the film. Sofia Boutella is a hired killer and ideally should have left after finishing her task but sticks around to help the good guys escape being killed by Wolf King’s minions. The film becomes part slasher film as Sofia Boutella goes full babe from hell and starts killing all who stand in her way. Dave Bautista too goes berserk but strangely his scenes seems to have been cut.

Jodie Foster rises above her badly written character sketch and carries the film on her frail shoulders. Her idiosyncrasies, her breakdown as she learns the truth about her son’s death in her befuddled state and her resurgence makes for interesting viewing. But overall, the film felt like a series pilot. It introduces us to various interesting characters but doesn’t give them closure. Let’s hope there is another film coming which will help tie up the ends.

Trailer : Hotel Artemis

Renuka Vyavahare, July 13, 2018, 4:30 AM IST

critic's rating: 3.0/5

Hotel Artemis Story: Set in a dystopian, riot-torn Los Angeles, the film follows a nurse (Jodie Foster) who runs a secret, members-only emergency room for the criminals. The existing tension escalates when the most dangerous crime lord (Jeff Goldblum as the Wolf King) shows up at the hotel, wounded.

Hotel Artemis Review: Dark, brooding and eerie — Hotel Artemis is a suspenseful and atmospheric crime thriller that works on your mind but fails to build upon the tension created. Boasting of some compelling performances led by Foster, the film manages to up your intrigue but struggles to maintain it. Set within the four walls of the hotel and revolving around a handful of notorious characters with mysterious motives, the narrative tempts us to discover their backstories. However, this road to discovery and redemption is way too sluggish and stretched to be engaging. The ambiguity becomes exhausting beyond a point, leading to boredom.
A film of this nature deserved slicker action scenes as well, which is grossly missed. Drew Pearce’s ambition to infuse human emotions in this unsettling, and partially gory, crime thriller doesn’t really work. What you eventually get is a random mishmash of psychological horror and futuristic humane drama. Jodie Foster is brilliant as always.

Overall, the film struggles with pace but one can still watch it for the unusual treatment and character portrayal. Only if the director could take it all further to a logical conclusion instead of targeting his movie for a niche, select film festival audience.